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The newest book on America’s food obsession is "The United States of Arugula: How We Became a Gourmet Nation" by David Kamp. I never liked the word "gourmet," especially since it has become so overused. Still, foodies are dazzled by the diverse bounty of multiethnic ingredients that have become as common as, well, arugula.
This was not the case about 25 years ago, when peppers were either red or green, and bread and cheese didn’t come with an artisan-designer label or price tag.
Fast forward to fall 2006 and grocery shopping for such delights as organic free-range poultry, fresh herbs, jicama and jasmine or basmati rice is a snap.
Remember when vinegar was either white, cider or red wine? Now there’s a Champagne version, flavored variations and the overused balsamic.
When did spaghetti and ravioli start getting called pasta? Speaking of ravioli, it’s now offered as little pillows filled with wild mushrooms, goat cheese, pesto, lobster or crabmeat. Does anyone buy the plain ricotta-cheese variety, topped with nonna’s Sunday gravy, anymore?
Sushi has become the ultimate snack food. Wild mushrooms are not wild anymore, as 20-plus types are cultivated in Kennett Square. Fresh basil is available 365 days a year to make pesto for pasta, which is never topped with grated cheese from the green can. Instead, people dish out $11.99 or more for a pound of Parmigiano-Reggiano. The goat cheese craze has subsided, but rounds, pyramids and cylinders of tangy chevre can be found in supermarkets and specialty stores.
Over in the produce department, jicama, a round, heavy vegetable with a light-tan skin and the consistency of an apple, has been making its presence known. I first tasted it about 20 years ago when friends from California used it in a salad. (Jicama and avocados have a big following in the Golden State.)
Grocery stores have become social enclaves, as shoppers are offered samples and roam aisles searching for the latest trends. The heyday of the old supermarket is over. Now there’s Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Wegman’s, a new-and-improved Reading Terminal Market — open Sundays beginning Oct. 15 — and specialty stores like DiBruno’s (which recently added a fresh-fish counter and butcher shop to its Rittenhouse Square spot).
Forget wraps. Panini are now the sandwich of choice, especially when prepared on ciabatta. One fast-food chain now uses this bread and talks about how the delicious Italian loaf has gone mainstream in its commercials.
In her book, "The New America Cooking," Joan Nathan recreated a scene from "Seinfeld," which went off the air in 1998:
"Nouvelle Italian restaurant, candles on the table. Jerry and Elaine are finishing dinner. George, sitting across from them, hasn’t eaten a thing.
George: Why do I get pesto? Why do I think I’ll like it? I keep trying to like it, like I have to like it.
Jerry: Who said you have to like it?
George: Everybody likes pesto. You walk into a restaurant, that’s all you hear, ‘pesto, pesto, pesto.’
Jerry: I don’t like pesto.
George: Where was pesto 10 years ago?"
In "When Harry Met Sally…" the line "pesto is the quiche of the ’80s" rings true. By the way, whatever happened to quiche?
Recipes for once-hard-to-find ingredients, which are now part of everyday eating, are hidden jewels that have finally been discovered.
Jicama and�€� Cucumber Salad
Ingredients:
1 large jicama, peeled and julienned
1 English cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 small red onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and julienned
1/2 cup of olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Snips of fresh dill
Directions:
Place the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and toss well.
Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate for about four hours.
Serves four to six.
Note from Phyllis: Add sliced radishes or thinly sliced red, yellow and orange peppers, if desired.
Mushrooms in Red Wine
Ingredients:
2 pounds of mixed fresh mushrooms, such as white button, shiitake, cremini, portobello, hedgehog or chanterelle, sliced
1 stick of unsalted butter
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1-1/2 cups of dry red wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Sprinkling of seasoned breadcrumbs
Chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Directions:
Wipe the mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Place in a bowl and hand toss.
Melt the butter and oil over medium in a large skillet. Add the mushrooms and saut� for about five to 10 minutes, or until they begin to give up liquid. If they appear dry, add another 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter.
Place in a 2-1/2-quart casserole dish. Pour in the wine and blend well. Add the salt and pepper. Lightly sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and top with the parsley.
Place in the oven and run under the broiler for a few minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are light golden brown.
Serves four to six.
Note from Phyllis: This dish makes a delicious, yet unusual, appetizer.
Pistachio Pesto�€�with String Beans
Ingredients:
2 cups of chopped fresh basil leaves
3 cloves of garlic
1 cup of roasted, unsalted shelled pistachios
1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 teaspoon of salt
A few grinds of black pepper
12 ounces of linguine, or pasta of choice
1 pound of fresh string beans
Directions:
Place the basil, garlic and pistachios in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. With the motor running, slowly pour the oil through the feed tube until the ingredients turn to a paste. Stir in the cheese, salt and pepper.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Halfway through, add the string beans. Continue cooking until the pasta is "al dente." Drain.
Place in a serving bowl and gently fold in the pistachio pesto.
Serves four to six.
Note from Phyllis: This recipe is from Joan Nathan’s "The New American Cooking." Leftover pesto can be covered with a thin coat of olive oil (to retain its green color) and placed in the refrigerator or freezer.
